2011 Rifflandia Festival

Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:23PM

Hello everyone! I am back after a few weeks off for vacation and am in the blogging groove. Did you miss me? I know I missed sharing news of upcoming events and wonders to behold in this great city of Victoria.One such example of a tremendous event is Rifflandia Festival 2011. Rifflandia is entering its fourth year of operations and is expected to be the largest yet. Featuring a diverse and eclectic collection of performances, Rifflandia is sure to offer something for everyone. This years main stage is at Royal Athletic Park. The venue has had to expand this year due to the growing attention and attendance from “wristbanded Rifflandians”. “Rifflandians” are the attendees to Rifflandia and are referred to as such due to the awesome ticket system Rifflandia uses.Instead of looking at four days of events from September 22 to September 25, and struggling with getting tickets for the shows you want, tickets for Rifflandia come in the form of a wrist band that allows open access to the venue for the length of the festival. This is fantastic because it also allows people to take in performances that they normally would not consider as well as reduces disappointment for anyone who perhaps would have missed out on tickets for their favourite performers (De La Soul or City and Color for example).The Rifflandia Festival has grown steadily in the previous three years. Starting in 2008 with the main set up outside of the McPherson Playhouse and 65 acts performing, 1,500 people took in the spectacle. This increased in 2009 when 2,500 attendees experienced the wrist band magic. 2010 was a special year with 3,500 Rifflandians, a city wide treasure hunt named “Winlandia!” and several contests for attentive wrist band adorned fans.2011’s Rifflandia Festival is shaping up to be a doozy. With the move to Royal Athletic Park, the venue has grown to accommodate a much larger audience. Royal Athletic Park has an official seat count of over 4,500. There is a wide range of ticket options available starting at $55 and peaking at $275. The Super Pass is the best bet for anyone looking to be fully engrossed in Rifflandia, but single day/night passes are also available for people who are unable to attend the full event.With summer winding down and condensation on vehicle windows in the morning, the 2011 Rifflandia Festival is one of the last chances to get out and enjoy an event outdoors in one of Victoria’s marvelous parks (ok, Royal Athletic Park is a stadium and not really a park in the traditional sense, you got me). Rifflandia performers are also out and about at several venues around the city for evening performances so make sure to check out the festival schedule even if you can’t become an official Rifflandian!